The Conversation
by Fangtasy Junkie
Summary: ONE SHOT. This is one version of the conversation that I wish Sookie would have had with Eric after he found out about their time together. All of the books afterwards would have been so much better and Sookie would have been spared a lot of pain.


**A/N: This is the conversation that I wish would have happened once Sookie realized what an idiot she was being. This takes place a few days after she tells Eric about their time together. He has not spoken to her since and she has been putting him off for a long time even before that. If this conversation would have taken place all the other books would have been so much better. *sigh* **

**End fangirl rant!**

It didn't take me long to locate Eric once I walked into Fangtasia. Tonight he was sitting in his booth and I was relieved that he was not on the throne like most nights. Not only did it bother me to see women fawning over him so desperately, it would be inconvenient for what I planned to do.

We were long overdue for the talk that I was about to have with him, even if it was one-sided. He was being ridiculous about this situation although I admit that up until tonight I had been too. As I approached the table he looked up from his cellphone and nodded.

"Sookie, what a pleasure."

Yeah, right. I snort in a rather un-lady-like fashion and take a seat across from him.

"This may not have occurred to you but there's a reason I don't come here more often. It takes a lot of effort to block out this many people all at once and I can't help but hear most of them unless I concentrate on nothing else."

I looked at Eric meaningfully before continuing.

"There are an awful lot of women in here that have had sex with you, Eric. When I see their memories… the thought of you touching anyone else makes me homicidal. I don't know whether to bash them over the head or rip all of your beautiful blond hair out by the roots."

The look on his face would be funny if this weren't such a sensitive subject for me. It's clear that he hadn't really thought about this before. He opens his mouth and closes it again several times before speaking.

"You never said anything," he says. After a pause his face lights up and I know he's about to make some snide comment about my jealousy.

"You do not want me to sleep with these women?" he asks. Well duh.

"Can it, Eric. I'm not done." I smirk. "I know that I probably don't have any right to feel that way but I do. I'm also a little bit insane for admitting it to you but what else is new?"

I look around the bar and focus on the thoughts of several women before continuing. As I do, he moves closer to me in the booth and places a hand on my thigh. Typical but at least he's not running.

"See that woman over there?" I point to a fangbanger in fishnets and a dress so short it's probably a shirt. Eric glances at her. "She wants to go down on you."

I steal a glance at Eric and see his eyes bug slightly at my language. I don't usually talk like this and I think this is about as close to shocked as Eric has ever looked.

"That one over there? She heard that you're well endowed and wants to find out if it's true. Her friend wants you too because she thinks it would elevate her reputation somehow. That one, that one, that one… they all want you, Eric but for the wrong reasons. None of them see you as anything but fangs and a dick. They don't give a damn about who you are or what matters to you. They don't care where you've been or what makes you happy. They could care less if you ever laughed. They might even like you less if they ever saw it. There are plenty of them to keep you occupied for the rest of your life. These girls are everywhere and with your looks you'll never run out."

I sigh and look back at him. His eyes are already locked on my face and he's listening intently. There are too many emotions running through his eyes for me to get a good read and as usual his face is fairly blank.

"You're running away from me because of what I told you," I continue. "You wanted so badly to know what happened when you stayed with me and now that you do you won't talk to me. If this," (I wave expansively) "these worthless people that don't give a damn about you, are enough for you – if this is what makes you happy – then I've obviously overestimated you. I don't think I have, Eric. You're better than this. You _deserve_ better than this."

Feeling exhausted from pouring my heart out I move to slide out of the booth. What seemed like a great idea before is making me feel pretty stupid right now. It's not that I regret any of what I said, I just hoped for more of a response I guess.

The moment I stand up Eric is in front of me, having done that vampire speed thing that so often annoys me. He's looking down at me with a very serious expression and seems to be studying my eyes. After what feels like an eternity he takes my hand and starts walking towards the back of the club. Instead of going to his office like I assumed though, he leads me out through the employee entrance.

Coming to rest on the side of his car, he leans back and pulls me to stand between his legs so that we are closer in height.

"Sookie," he says quietly, "I'm sorry that I haven't spoken to you. This is very hard for me to process and… you didn't seem to…"

There's a long pause where he seems to consider what to say.

"I have spent most of my thousand years living in the shadows. I could not show my true nature, I could not form relationships for fear of being discovered. I never had anyone that knew me let alone accepted me."

He pushes a stand of hair behind my ear before continuing.

"Then you come along, this strong willed, beautiful, maddening, enchanting woman and you treat me just like any other man. Like I'm not a killer and something to live in the darkness…" he looks unsure and pauses, searching my eyes for a reaction.

"That's because you aren't, Eric. You're a man, not a monster. I've seen what you're capable of, I know that you can be brutal and violent but you can also be sweet and caring; there's love in you."

Taking my hands in his he begins to rub small circles in my palms. He looks down slightly, not quite meeting my eyes before continuing.

"Before I knew what happened I couldn't understand why my heart ached so badly. I had not felt that before and didn't understand what was happening. You wouldn't tell me anything. And then when you did, you told me that we had been together – I had finally gotten what I had wanted so badly for so long – and yet the moment the curse was broken you threw me away. You rejected me."

"I didn't reject you, Eric. I thought you wouldn't want me anymore. The whole time you were with me my heart was breaking because I knew that the moment you got your memories back you'd want nothing to do with me. You'd know that you finally got in my pants and the fascination would be over."

"How could you think that? Have I not shown you that it's more than that? How many women have you seen me fight for, Sookie? Have you seen me take bullets for them, comfort them, chase them across state lines to keep them safe? I have never even pursued a woman before you, Sookie."

"So… what are you saying? What do you want from me, Eric?"

"Everything," he whispers, "I want everything."

"Everything like how?" I ask. "Like a relationship? Human terms or vampire terms? Because I can't do this whole I'm yours but you're a free agent crap. I won't. I'm not an asset or a belonging or whatever other messed up crap –"

"Yes, Sookie, like that," he interrupts. "I want to be yours as you are mine. I don't want anyone else and I can't stand the thought of you with anyone else. I… I miss you. The parts of you I can remember and the parts that I cannot."

Leaning forward I touch my forehead to his, cupping his face in my hands.

"I miss you too."

"Can you be with me, Sookie? Now that it's all of me and not just the innocent part that has no idea what I've seen in a thousand years on this earth?"

"Yes," I say and kiss his lips gently. He returns the kiss briefly before pulling back slightly to look at me.

"You have to be sure, Sookie. I can't give myself to this only to have you reject me again. You cannot run away from me as you are so find of doing," he says.

"I'm sure. I won't run," I say.

His arms come around me, holding me tight and he buries his face in my hair. It feels like coming home. Being here in his arms, finally on equal ground, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. All of my fears are gone and I can't think of anything else but Eric in this moment. He's my Eric but he's the old Eric too. He's just Eric and he's mine.

"Mine," I whisper into his neck.

"Yours," he responds, "And you are finally mine."


End file.
